Forsyth Library Digital Collections

Digital Collections Librarian:
Andrew Weiss
apweiss@fhsu.edu
785.628.5713

Digital Projects:
As part of our efforts to support the library’s mission of providing and sustaining the free flow of information, we are developing multiple digital collections to fall under the guidance of the Forsyth Library Digital Library Area (FLDLA) [see below].   The collections digitized will include the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center’s “The Space Race: Man’s Quest for the Moon” project, the Forsyth Library Archives’ rare historical documents and books, and other various local collections that will benefit from the increased access brought about by the digitization process. 

It will be our ongoing mission not only to provide access and retrieval, but also to develop and maintain a “safety zone,” in which the new digital information generated by us will be preserved for the long-term using, whenever possible, industry-wide best practices, well-established standards, and open source formats and software solutions.

Forsyth Library Digital Library Area:

Mission
The Forsyth Library Digital Library Area (FLDLA) has the mission of implementing broad-based digitization efforts through collaborative relationships with academic departments, libraries and museums.  In addition, the Digital Library Area will apply technologies and standards to provide access to scholarly materials, rare and one-of-a-kind materials, and other information through digital libraries and repositories.

Vision Statement
The Forsyth Library Digital Library Area (FLDLA) has the vision of becoming a nationally-recognized entity that works within Forsyth Library and Fort Hays State University to provide access to information in the form of digital content.  The vision includes the cultivation of research opportunities, the professional development of student interns, University faculty, and Forsyth Library staff and the continued development of collaborative relationships within the Library, the University and the greater community.

Principles
Building on the foundation of the broad Mission and Vision statements, our Principles define and shape the underlying values upon which the FLDLA digitization projects will be based:

• Leadership: 

FLDLA will reach beyond the local environment to foster broad perspectives while simultaneously developing its role at the local level.  The FLDLA will seek to contribute to national developments by participating in the national forum and by creating and sharing a framework for implementing a Digital library that can be used as a model by others.
           

• Collaboration:

The FLDLA will embark upon a collaborative effort that draws upon the unique talents and resources of a wide range of staff and organizations both inside and outside of Fort Hays State University.

• Access:

The intent of the FLDLA is to support and enhance the free flow of information and scholarly discourse, including such diverse areas as: history,

• Durable Collections:

Content will outlive generations of access, storage and retrieval technology and data formats.  The intent of selecting storage media and software should be to enable migration of content as technologies evolve so that information may be effectively preserved for future use without loss or distortion.  The FLDLA will focus not only on the delivery of content, but also on the long-term migration and preservation of content, including the development of a MetaArchive using a private LOCKSS network with our digitization partners.

• Sustainable Architecture:

The FLDLA will promote and support the use of standards and industry “best practices” in order to build a sustainable architecture.       

• Management Focus:

The FLDLA will support a full range of administrative, policy, business and curatorial functions required by any library to manage, administer and ensure fair use of its collections.  FLDLA will build upon and enhance existing structures to provide these functions